The current environment, given the state of South Africa’s economy and more ambitious tax revenue targets, together with uncertainty on various tax principles and policy matters, has resulted in a significant increase in tax dispute matters. Against this increasing tide, there is a greater opportunity for clients to draw on the combined experience of the two firms in arriving at the best strategy and outcome on any dispute resolution matters.
“Whilst the choice of attorney remains firmly that of the client, the alliance with MacRobert Attorneys will enable us to take full control of tax dispute matters and support those of our clients who require such assistance, from tax query stage all the way to the highest courts. The alliance also provides our clients with greater accessibility to the top senior advocates in tax dispute and administrative law matters. Whether it is in the boardroom or in court, the alliance with MacRobert Attorneys sets us ahead of our competition and presents our clients with a unique blend of deep tax technical and tax litigation skills,” says Muhammad Saloojee, executive director and head of tax and legal for KPMG in South Africa.
There is a strong complement of skill sets, with KPMG having one of the largest tax practices in the country and deep industry, as well as tax technical experience. MacRobert Attorneys, established in 1896, will bring its extensive tax dispute resolution as well as tax litigation experience.
There is also a shared vision between the two firms on how to help clients on dispute resolution matters with a focus on resolving disputes in a responsible manner as opposed to adopting aggressive tax litigation practices which are not only costly, but not always the correct approach. In addition, there is a strong cultural fit between the two firms.
The KPMG Corporate Legal Practice (which forms part of the KPMG Tax and Legal Practice) will continue to provide commercial law services to its clients in the same manner as it has for over 15 years. There is a growing trend both locally, internationally to provide commercial legal services as an integrated offering with other commercial disciplines. KPMG is proud to have been at the forefront of this trend in South Africa and remains committed to providing and growing this integrated commercial law offering in South Africa and globally through the KPMG network.
“We are excited about the Tax Dispute Resolution alliance with KPMG. We believe that this is the team that you need on your side to understand your business and to resolve disputes efficiently and collaboratively. The combination of the services offered by KPMG and MacRobert Attorneys offers clients a unique and seamless tax advisory and tax dispute resolution service. We strive to create harmony between numbers and words to achieve the best strategic result for our clients,” adds Nelia Wessels, tax director of MacRobert Attorneys.
